'Racist Abuse Makes Me Rethink Joining Police'

30 June 2026

A long-serving member of Humberside police staff who was planning to train as an officer is now considering not doing so – or moving her family to a different area – due to the racist abuse she’s received.

Narinder Gaddu spoke out as Humberside Police Federation continued its campaign, Protect The Protectors: Stop Racism Against Police.

Narinder has worked for Humberside Police for almost 17 years, and is currently on secondment with the Change and Innovation Team. She is also an active member of the Bridge forum, Humberside Police’s staff association for ethnic minority officers and staff.

She has always wanted to train as a police officer, saying: “I feel a passion for being out there and helping communities.

“In 2022 when I joined the Logistics team as a Force Duties Officer, a fellow colleague in the team was going through the recruitment process, having being successful in joining as a detective through the direct detective entry route.

“I was inspired by this as she was a similar age to me and was also a single mother. This ignited my passion to follow suit but I thought I was past it, age wise, and talked myself out of it. However at the same time, while at a Bridge meeting, I aired my thoughts to the group and was surprised by the support I received from the group, so this motivated me to apply.”

Narinder passed the online assessment and interview, and in February last year heard she had been successful. Unfortunately, there has been a hold-up in the funding, and over a year later she hasn’t yet started her training. But she is also starting to think twice about becoming a police officer as, sadly, she has been the victim of racist abuse.

She explained: “There’s the flag raising, the heightened racist activity that's been going on. I live in Hull. We are the minority in this predominantly white city, and minority races have been experiencing that uncertainty and backlash. And I've been on the receiving end of racial abuse.

“In October last year, I was racially abused by some teenagers, just while I was minding my own business, going out for my evening walk. I thought: ‘Wow, if this can happen when I'm walking the streets, what am I going to face when I'm out on the beat and dealing with incidents?’ It did make me think twice. It was upsetting.

“But then I thought, ‘No, this is my dream, I'd like to fulfil it, and I'm not going to let these lowlifes deter me from that’. And I got some pep talks from my line managers.

“Then unfortunately, at Christmas time I was directly racially abused, and that was horrible. It really sickened me. I was on my night out with my team, and we were at the bar, speaking to some people, and someone turned around and referred to me by the P-word. I was in disbelief, it was just horrible, and I put my hand up and said: ‘I don't want to talk to anyone who condones that kind of language’. It really made me feel like I don't belong.

“I hope I don't encounter any future incidents where I'm directly targeted, but it does niggle at me, and it makes me question whether [being a police officer] is something that I should be doing. And I've questioned whether Humberside is the right region to do it, I've thought about relocating where there is a community for me to serve, where I feel a part of it.”

Narinder is originally from Birmingham and said she often considers moving back there, or to West Yorkshire where she also has family, but that she also loves working with her colleagues at Humberside Police.

She is pleased that Humberside Police Federation has launched its Stop Racism Against Police campaign, saying: “I feel proud to work for Humberside Police and the fact that they are all coming together on this anti-racism campaign makes me feel like I'm valued as a person. Sadly, it's necessary, because the aggravation and the hatred is there. Will we change people's views? We can try.”